Movie Reviews

North County Times and wire reports -

C "30 Days of Night"

While director David Slade's adaptation of the graphic novel isa huge cut above most of today's gore fests, the premise and itsrepetitive gimmicks gradually grow monotonous. Set in Barrow,Alaska, the bloodsuckers show up as the sun goes down and won'tcome up again for a month, and the vampires go on a feeding frenzyamong the townsfolk, including the local sheriff (Josh Hartnett)and his estranged wife (Melissa George). Slade fashions somememorably graphic images, but the momentum fades as the humans holeup to ride out the long night while the vampires hiss and moanoutside. R. 113 min. (Associated Press)

B- "Across the Universe"

Too-simple and overfamiliar drawing of the '60s, at least foranyone older than 35, but the Julie Taymor musical featuring livelyuse of Beatles songs released in that decade is entertaining. EvanRachel Wood, Jim Sturgess and Joe Anderson play young people in thelate '60s attempting to cope with volatile social times, includingwar overseas and protests at home, all the while seeking love andcontentment in their own lives. Taymor's visual design is splendid,the cast can really sing, and the songs remain vital, even if theremainder is connect-the-dots stuff. PG-13. 131 min. (DanBennett)

B "American Gangster"

So perhaps Ridley Scott's much-anticipated mobster epic doesn'thave a single original idea in its head, with its unshakable shadesof "Scarface" and "Serpico" and "Superfly." And maybe it's ahalf-hour too long. But it's exceptionally crafted and superblyacted, with the on-screen combo of Denzel Washington and Russell
Crowe unsurprisingly proving impossible to resist, even though ittakes about two hours for their paths to cross. Washington, asreal-life heroin kingpin Frank Lucas, and Crowe, as detectiveRichie Roberts, are on a collision course with one another that'sbursting with the gritty period atmosphere of 1970s Harlem. R. 157min. (Associated Press)

C "Bee Movie"

There is zero life left in this concept, even if it does springfrom the fertile mind and absurd sensibility of Jerry Seinfeld. Thecomic stars in, co-wrote and co-produced this colorful jaunt abouta bee named Barry who dares to leave the tradition and rigidity ofNew Hive City for the vast unknown of the outside world --specifically, the corner of 67th and Columbus on Manhattan's UpperWest Side, Seinfeld's longtime stomping grounds on TV and in reallife. There he meets and falls for a florist named Vanessa (voicedby Renee Zellweger), even though rule No. 1 of bee existence isnever to talk to humans. Vanessa not only talks back, she befriendsBarry and helps him sue the entire human race after a trip to thegrocery store provides the shocking revelation that people arestealing the bees' honey and selling it. There are some cute lineshere and there and some amusing cameos from Ray Liotta, Sting andLarry King, but bee puns unfortunately prevail. PG. 90 min.(Associated Press)

C "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"

Director Sidney Lumet, working from the first script byplaywright Kelly Masterson, hearkens to his own classic "Dog DayAfternoon" with this story of a heist fueled by desperation, inwhich one bad decision leads to another with devastating results.But the veteran filmmaker also seems to be aiming for familydysfunction and tragedy on a Shakespearean scale, which proveselusive. Even for a group of innately selfish, screwed-up peoplesuch as these, the sabotage and double-crosses pile up to anextraordinary level. Hoffman and Ethan Hawke play brothers who planto rob the jewelry store their parents own in suburban WestchesterCounty, N.Y. Nothing goes right, which exacerbates their alreadyprecarious financial and emotional situations. R. 123 min.(Associated Press)

C "Bella"

Being liked isn't always the same as being good, as this
surprise winner of the Toronto Film Festival audience favorite
award proves. "Bella" pulls every emotional ripcord it can grab,
parachuting on a maudlin breeze of surefire pathos. Eduardo
Verastegui ("Chasing Papi") plays Jose, a shaggy chef at his
brother's Manhattan restaurant. Before that, he was a clean-shaven,
slicked-down soccer star with a fancy retro ride. How Jose went
from pro sports bonus baby to onion-chopping second banana is
telegraphed by a joyride and grainy home movies of a cute little
girl. The on-locale photography is par for the Big Apple. An
earnest musical score informs us when it's OK to cry or dance, if
we wish. "Bella" isn't altogether bad; its cultural heart is in the
right place, especially in scenes of Nina visiting Jose's warmly
traditional family. PG-13. 91 min. (St. Petersburg (Fla.)
Times)

D "The Comebacks"

The slapdash, ultimately tedious comedy "The Comebacks" -- in
which a loser coach named Lambeau Fields leads a misfit team to
victory -- is one of those parody movies that presume that merely
making reference to another film constitutes a joke. The movie's
low aspirations are depressing because its best gags are agreeably
demented. PG-13. 84 min. (The New York Times)

B "Control"

The trouble with making a movie about somebody famous,
especially somebody who died famously young as Joy Division's Ian
Curtis did, is that we know the whole story before we walk in. The
visually striking feature debut from longtime rock photographer
Anton Corbijn, shot in grainy, stark black-and-white, isn't really
about the rise and fall of Joy Division's lead singer, who killed
himself at 23 in May 1980. It's more of a psychological drama about
a man suffering from depression and doubt who felt confused,
overwhelmed -- phenomena that any of us can relate to who've never
performed live before packed, screaming crowds. R. 121 min.
(Associated Press)

C "Dan in Real Life"

This love-triangle romance that plays out among Steve Carell,Juliette Binoche and Dane Cook during a family reunion is asurprisingly plain, sappy, even insipid comedy. Carell plays awidower with three daughters who falls for a woman (Binoche) hemeets while running an errand during a reunion with his parents andsiblings. But she turns out to be the new girlfriend of his brother(Cook). With a heavy dose of sitcom artifice and gooey melodrama,the movie becomes toilsome. Occasional sparks between Carell andBinoche, along with a blithe soundtrack by Sondre Lerche, liventhings up somewhat. PG-13. 98 min. (Associated Press)

C "The Darjeeling Limited"

The latest self-satisfied exercise in style over substance fromwriter-director Wes Anderson will amuse his cult followers, butprobably nobody else. This time he has amassed old friends Owen
Wilson and Jason Schwartzman, along with Adrien Brody, to playestranged brothers who bicker while barreling across India on atrain, supposedly on a spiritual journey. As usual, Anderson seemsmore concerned with precious minutiae -- the quirky, kitschyclutter surrounding his eccentric characters, all of which heshoots head-on in wide angle -- than with developing people andscenarios that feel even vaguely relatable or real. R. 91 min.(Associated Press)

C "Fred Claus"

Not-so-kind holiday fable, story of Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn),wayward brother of Santa (Paul Giamatti). Fred does a bad job inhis stint at the North Pole in the days before Christmas,endangering Santa's future. The opportunity to fill in for Santa onChristmas Eve offers the eternally struggling Fred a shot atredemption. Fast-paced comedy is aggressive, lacking the nicetouches and sensitivity that would soften its impact and increaseits likability. PG. 110 min. (Dan Bennett)

B- "The Game Plan"

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays professional footballquarterback Joe Kingman, a preening superstar who is overlyenamored with himself and his accomplishments, but is clearly quitelonely. Joe is more than surprised when predictably cute 8-year-oldPeyton (Madison Pettis) shows up at his door one day and announcesherself as the daughter Joe never knew he had. "The Game Plan"merges sports and family just fine, never venturing too deep intoanything wildly creative. It's a formula comedy, but one withenough legs to keep running, wobbly design and all. PG. 99 min.(Dan Bennett)

A "Gone Baby Gone"

In his directing debut, Ben Affleck has found his calling.Co-writing the script with longtime friend Aaron Stockard, Affleckpresents a place oozing with atmosphere and rich, complicatedcharacters. Based on the child-abduction novel by Dennis "MysticRiver" Lehane, the movie is set on the rough streets south ofBoston. Private investigators Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck, Ben'syounger brother) and Angie Genarro (Michelle Monaghan), partners inwork and love, are asked by the missing girl's family to help findher because they can get details the police can't. Ed Harris,Morgan Freeman and Amy Ryan are among the superb supporting cast.R. 114 min. (Associated Press)

To say that the documentary "Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains"fawns over its subject doesn't lessen the subject's sincerity.Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme follows the former presidentand Nobel Peace Prize winner during 2006, following the release ofhis controversial book on Israel and Palestine, as he offeredsolutions not always popular. As much, a profile of an aging butvibrant and active senior statesman. A worthy historical document,both hard-hitting and homespun. PG. 122 min. (Dan Bennett)

A- "Lars and the Real Girl"

Poignant if odd comedy concerning a shy, lonely guy whointroduces his family and the community to his new girlfriend -- alifesize plastic doll. Rather than label the man a freak, though,people accept the delusion, hoping to bring the man back to goodmental health and happiness. Ryan Gosling provides another swellperformance as the lonely Lars. PG-13. 107 min. (Dan Bennett)

C+ "Lions for Lambs"

This preachy, star-driven first release of United Artists underthe leadership of Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner seems to ask everyimaginable question about the war on terrorism without offering ahint of an answer. Much of the movie plays like a civics lesson,the characters and situations manipulatively constructed. R. 90min. (Associated Press)

B- "Martian Child"

John Cusack plays a sci-fi writer and lonely widower who adopts
a troubled little boy who claims he's from Mars. Boy and adoptive
father struggle to understand each other while wrestling with their
own recent troubles and tragedies. The trip makes for a poignant
comedy-drama that never completely engages but enjoys several good
moments. PG. 99 min. (Dan Bennett)

A "The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D"

When this movie was first released in 1993, it drew rave reviews
but few paying customers. Re-released for the holiday season in
2000 and last year, it's become a cult favorite. In the charming
story, Jack Skellington -- the lanky pumpkin-headed skeleton leader
of Halloweentown -- has grown bored and disillusioned with his
annual holiday. He wanders off in a funk and stumbles accidentally
into the snowy world of Christmastown. Entranced by the holiday's
colorful lights, gingerbread trim and gift-giving innocence, he
takes Santa hostage and convinces his Halloween townsfolk to take
over the Christmas holiday for the year. But Jack's well-meaning
but sick ideas about appropriate children's gifts (cannibalistic
snakes, demonic jack-in-the-boxes and roadkill bonnets) horrify
humans, and the Army is soon called out to shoot his
reindeer-skeleton-drawn sleigh out of the sky. PG. 76 min. (Pam
Kragen)

C- "P2"

Swift and stealthy "P2" is a canny exploitation of one of the
urban woman's greatest fears: the after-hours parking garage. Throw
in a car that won't start, a creepy security guard and a filmmaking
team with perfect synchronicity, and the result is a minimalist
nightmare. R. 98 min. (The New York Times)

C- "Saw IV"

Over the course of two sequels, the "Saw" franchise took anovel, if distasteful, idea and basically tortured it to death.While the clever, low-budget execution of the original's Darwinianpremise -- kill or be killed -- commands a queasy respect, itscreators, James Wan and Leigh Whannel, should have rejoiced intheir unexpected success and moved on. The marketplace, however,had other plans, spawning a host of imitators and now "Saw IV,"bloody proof that Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) may be dead, but his well ofcorporeal abuses has yet to run dry. Unfortunately, death is only aminor obstacle to Jigsaw, whose flayed stomach coughs up histrademark tape-recorded guide to dank dungeons and moldy motelrooms filled with elaborately trussed victims. R. 95 min. (The NewYork Times)

B "Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure"

In Imax films, the giant props are the show -- and in the new
National Geographic documentary, "Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric
Adventure," they're as spectacular as one could wish. At least half
of the movie is devoted to efficient but bland re-enactments of
20th-century archaeologists unearthing fossils from the Cretaceous
period. But these pale beside the film's true raison d'etre:
digitally re-created prehistoric sea beasts that seem as real as
whales and sharks. "Sea Monsters" is a parade of special-effects
money shots. The film is playing exclusively at the R.H. Fleet
Science Center. 40 min. (The New York Times)

B+ "Sharkwater"

Documentary celebrates sharks, debunking myth that they are
eager and avid people-eaters. The film exposes grave dangers to
sharks from poaching that threatens the magnificent creatures.
Stunning and beautiful high-def filming mixes with call to action.
PG. 88 min. (Dan Bennett)

B "Why Did I Get Married?"

The large cast of Tyler Perry's new movie, a melodrama called"Why Did I Get Married?," includes one Janet Jackson. With softauthority, she plays Patty, a demurely clothed, deeply sentient,highly respected psychologist blissfully wed to Gavin (Malik Yoba).These two join three couples they've known since college for awinter vacation at a cabin in the mountains. Needless to say, thevacation is short-lived after secrets, lies and venereal diseasescome tumbling out into the open, and everybody spends the secondhalf of the movie explaining, then apologizing. PG-13. 118 min.(The Boston Globe)

B+ "Wristcutters"

Based on the premise of, and set in, a sort of purgatory for
those who commit suicide, "Wristcutters" is more likely to live on
as a cult favorite than as a consensus classic. What makes the
movie work is that the actors, whose characters are trapped in a
weird movie about a weird place, underplay their astonishment. R.
88 min. (The New York Times)